Chest wound killed Jackson

Willie Jackson III met his death as a result of a stab wound to the chest that injured his heart and liver, a medical examiner testified Friday in Worcester Superior Court.

Pathologist Dr. Peter Cummings, who performed an autopsy Mr. Jackson, 25, Dec. 23, 2009, said the wound to the left side of his chest penetrated both ventricles of his heart as well as his liver.

Dr. Cummings’ testimony came during the trial of 54-year-old Felix Rodriguez, the man accused of inflicting the fatal wound on the night of Dec. 22, 2009, after a confrontation in a makeshift basement apartment at 25 Charlton St.

Mr. Rodriguez, who is also alleged to have held the knife to the neck of another man who was present, Tyrone Harris, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Mr. Rodriguez told police he stabbed Mr. Jackson after being attacked by him and Mr. Harris, and that all three were high on crack cocaine at the time.

Under cross-examination by Mr. Rodriguez’s lawyer, John J. Roemer, Dr. Cummings said toxicology tests showed Mr. Jackson had a 0.1 blood-alcohol level and had cocaine and cocaine metabolites in his system.

The presence of the cocaine indicated the drug had been “recently ingested” before Mr. Jackson’s death, the medical examiner said.

Mr. Rodriguez’s stepson, Edwin Rivera, was later called to the stand by Assistant District Attorney Brett F. Dillon. A reluctant witness, Mr. Rivera uttered immediately after being sworn in and before being asked any questions, “I’m not testifying against my father, just to let you guys know. I wasn’t there. I didn’t see anything.”

Under questioning by Mr. Dillon, Mr. Rivera said his stepfather came to his home at 30A Hermitage Lane after the stabbing, with his face bleeding, and told him he had stabbed a man after getting into a fight and getting punched and knocked down.

“Two people attacked him, and he defended himself,” Mr. Rivera said he was told by his stepfather.

Mr. Rivera said Mr. Rodriguez “was in shock” and appeared drunk when he arrived at his home and displayed a knife he had in his pocket.

When asked by the prosecutor why he did not tell police in a statement he gave that his father appeared intoxicated, Mr. Rivera responded, “They didn’t ask me.”